Further dissemination and recognition
The four site-performances had a direct impact on the congregation and helped to build links with the local community and interfaith groups. The project also provided a platform for groups such as Everyday Muslims, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Inclusive Mosque Initiative and Inter Faith Network UK to build links and create a sense of solidarity with Brick Lane Mosque and Old Kent Road Mosque.
The research findings were exhibited internationally at the Venice Architecture Biennale and shared internationally at conferences and journals within the fields of performance, architecture, arts and religion and arts and society.
Talks and presentations
Marsh, J, Assembly site performance at Brick Lane Mosque, artist talk at Close-Up Cinema, 2018
Marsh, J, Investigating the Interface Between Muslim Prayer Sites and Artistic Interventions, Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, 2019
Marsh, J, Exploring the Interface Between Art and Sacred Spaces, Sacred, Spiritual, Secular Conference, School of Architecture, University of Westminster, 2019
Marsh, J, Assembly: Site-specific research and practice, Sensing Site: a conference on artist fieldwork, Central Saint Martins, 2019
Marsh, J, Virtual Assembly, at Old Kent Road Mosque for Visit My Mosque 2020, organised by the Muslim Council of Britain
Marsh, J (2020) Assembly: Performing the materiality of Muslim prayer spaces, Scene 6, Intellect
Marsh, J. Saleem, S., Turner, C. and Kilgallon, E. (ed.) 2021. British Mosques. Foolscap Editions
| Creators | Marsh, J. |
|---|---|
| Description | Made in collaboration with the different mosque congregations, Assembly uses a programmed device mounted on a six-metre motorised rig. Gliding back and forth on the rig, the device is both “recorder” and “player”: at the end of a shoot, the camera is replaced by a projector and the “film” is ready for playback. The work does more than reproduce prayer: it also “performs” the social and religious structures of the site, making evocative use of 5.1 surround sound to create an uncanny experience. Mapped precisely to the mosque floor, the projected image of the carpet disappears into the real carpet. And the congregation, returning as observers, watch ghostly illusions of themselves at prayer. |
| Portfolio items | Assembly Exhibition Catalogue |
| Site-integrity: a dynamic exchange between site, artist, device and audience | |
| Assembly: Performing the materiality of Muslim prayer spaces | |
| Virtual Assembly | |
| 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale - Three British Mosques/Assembly | |
| British Mosques | |
| Year | 2020 |
| Publisher | University of Westminster |
| Web address (URL) | https://vimeo.com/showcase/8120594/ |
| Keywords | CREAM Portfolio |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.34737/v844y |
